by Gina Kincade
The bartender approached. “Hey, mate,” he said, as he walked past their table. “A storm’s in the forecast. You’d better head home.”
Leif nodded. “Thanks.” He swigged the last of his beer. “Let’s get going,” he told Nicola. “There’s plenty of room at my house, if you want to stay. No use risking a trip back to the compound and getting caught in this downpour.”
She shivered. “I hate getting all wet.”
His mind plunged straight into the gutter, conjuring up images of her ‘getting all wet’. He didn’t know what had gotten into him. Maybe it was the two beers he’d chugged. Maybe it was spending all day in the blistering sun. Maybe it was hearing her laughter. Or seeing her smile. Or feeling her pebbled nipples pressed against his back as he carried her across the sandy beach. Or smelling the scent of her perfume that seemed to wrap itself around his balls and hold on for dear life whenever he inhaled too deep.
Whatever the reason, the fantasy of him laying her on her back and spreading her thighs wide refused to leave his brain. He battled the hard-on in his trousers. He had to get a grip on these feelings. If Nicola knew what he was thinking, she’d probably slap the nasty thoughts from him. Though she’d have to smack him pretty hard for that to happen! Good thing she was going back to the States the day after tomorrow. The sooner she got on that plane, the better for both of them.
CHAPTER TEN
A boom of thunder sent Nicola flying under the covers. Her heart raced. She hated thunder and lightning. Ever since she was a child, this type of stormy weather terrified her. She was ashamed to admit, she rarely drove in it. If she were at home, she would be burrowed under the covers of her own bed. But this wasn’t home, and the guest room of Leif’s house definitely wasn’t her room.
She peeked above the blanket for a moment.
I’m being silly. It’s just a thunderstorm.
She tried to calm herself as she sat up straight and looked around the room. Someone had gone through pains to decorate it. Most likely, Leif’s mom, considering he rarely came home. The room boasted modern furnishings. A window seat. A dresser with a mirror. A queen-size bed. A bookshelf with lots of books, magazines, and whatnots. A small lamp crafted of brass and glass balls sat atop the nightstand. Not that it did much good—the electricity was out.
My ass should be asleep right now and I wouldn’t have to worry about the lightning or lack of electricity.
It had been too hard to sleep after her day with Leif. She’d had such a good time with him. He was a total one-eighty from the man she’d met only a few days ago. He was sexier. More compassionate. And funny, too. Who knew? Every time he looked at her with those dark turquoise eyes, thrills of excitement shot through her. When had that started? When had she started catching feelings for him?
Maybe if she’d been braver, she might have acted on her impulses. Shit, she didn’t want to embarrass herself. The man might not even be interested. He was probably just being nice because he’d been stuck with her all this time. Even if he were attracted to her, nothing could come of it. They barely knew each other. He would think she was a straight-up skank if she made a move on him.
Still, her inner voice nagged, you’re leaving the country the day after tomorrow. This is your last chance.
A bolt of lightning flashed outside her window, illuminating the entire room. The branches of a tree outside created a macabre display of finger-like images on a nearby wall. Another clap of thunder nearly made her heart stop.
She shrieked.
That’s it! I’m outta here.
She flew from the room and tapped on Leif’s door across the hall. Without waiting for him to answer, she opened the door and slipped inside. He was in bed, reading a book by the soft glow of a hurricane lantern.
He looked up, surprised. “Nic…”
Instead of waiting for him to finish, she rushed to his bed and slid beneath the covers. “Do you mind if I hang out with you for a while?” she asked.
“As a matter of fact, I do. I could have been naked or doing…something…indecent in here.”
“But you’re not.” Wearing his T-shirt and what felt like boxers, he was overdressed by her standards. She plumped one of his pillows and tucked it behind her head. “Besides, I won’t stay long. I just don’t like storms.”
“You don’t like storms. You don’t like meat. You don’t like animals. What do you like, woman?”
“I like order and predictability. And dry weather.”
He snorted. “Predictability is boring.”
She shrugged. “What are you reading?”
“Risk Assessment for Dummies.”
She laughed. “C’mon, I’m serious.”
He grinned. “I made you laugh.”
“Yes, you did.” He’d made her laugh quite a bit today. Once he let his guard down, he was actually fun to be around. “I never figured you for a reader.”
“How do you think I got through college and veterinary school?”
“I meant reading for pleasure.”
“Oh.” He closed the book. “You’d be surprised how much time I have for reading all by myself at the compound. This book is pretty good. It’s about a man’s fiancée who goes missing in Paris. Turns out she’s being held prisoner in the catacombs beneath the city by some maniacal serial killer.”
“Ugh, sounds scary and dark.”
“It is.”
She yawned, covering her mouth with her injured hand.
“How’s your wrist?”
“Much better. In fact, it doesn’t hurt at all.”
“Let me take a look.” He put down his book and began removing her bandage.
She let him examine her, going through the motions of flexing it back and forth. “See, I told you it was good as new.”
He nodded, his eyes transfixed to her hand. He laced his fingers with hers and softly stroked her skin with his strong fingers. His movements were slow and soothing as he tenderly massaged her hand, and then trailed a path from her fingertips to her elbow. In a gesture that both shocked and excited her, he brought her fingers to his mouth and brushed his lips across her knuckles.
Her breath hitched. “I like the way you touch me,” she admitted.
Her eyes drifted to the firm lines of his lips. Her fingers itched to touch the supple flesh there. She couldn’t look away if her life depended on it. The air between them crackled with energy that had nothing to do with the storm raging outside. She was so close to him she could see the army of blonde stubble on his chin. She captured his face in her hands as she leaned in. She wanted him. She didn’t care about the consequences. She had to feel the reassuring touch of his mouth covering hers.
His lips parted, and when he opened his mouth, goose bumps puckered along her arms. She waited, her heart fluttering in her ribcage in anticipation of what would happen next. Seconds later, his mouth descended on hers; his tongue slid past her lips to frolic with hers. She sighed against him. Their kiss was tender, yet hungry. Heat spiraled in the pit of her abdomen as she melted beneath his touch. She threaded her fingers through the thick strands at his scalp.
As their tongues performed an erotic salsa-dance, Leif cradled her face in his hands. The rough pads of his thumbs stroked her cheeks, her chin, and the delicate flesh at the hollow of her throat. His tongue soon followed the path his fingers blazed, leaving a trail of fire everywhere he kissed her.
She was helpless to stop the onslaught. Her nipples strained against the worn denim of his shirt. Even though she’d bought more clothing today, she felt at home in his things. A spiral of heat slowly uncoiled inside her. Her coochie throbbed mercilessly. Pulsating. Pounding. Begging for release.
She hadn’t felt wanted in a long time. She was at Leif’s mercy, waiting breathlessly for more of his TLC. But just as her hunger was being satisfied, Leif pulled away, holding her at arm’s length.
“You might want to leave now,” he said.
Her heart stuttered in her chest. She wondered if she’d gon
e too far. Would he send her away? Had she made a fool of herself? “Why?”
“The odds that I’ll be able to keep my hands off of you are zero.”
Relief flooded her veins. Yes, he still wanted her as much as she wanted him. She rewarded him with a sultry smile. “The odds that I’ll be able to resist you are also zero.”
“I’ll take those odds.”
He pulled her into his embrace and kissed her again. His lips were a powerful drug—more addictive than all the painkillers he’d given her. She’d been honest with him; she wouldn’t resist. She couldn’t if she tried. She didn’t give a damn if they’d only met a few days ago. She was attracted to him. And this felt so right. The way she saw it, they were two souls giving each other comfort. Right now, she needed comfort more than anything.
Leif couldn’t believe he was holding this sexy woman in his arms. It had been years since he’d been tempted by the flesh of a female. He’d been too busy tending to his animals and nursing the wounds of his devastating breakup. Then Nicola came along—beautiful, soft, and vulnerable—sparking long-dormant urges inside him. A mouth that had only days ago scolded him in his clinic now yielded to his kisses. He relished the feeling, wanting to lose himself in her. He slid his tongue along the corners of her lips, savoring the faint taste of the draught beer she’d had earlier.
He was lost in her hot kisses. The more he plundered, the more he fell victim to her spell. She was soft and feminine, the way a woman should be. Her low moans turned him on. He deepened the kiss; his tongue invaded her mouth, plundering, conquering, seeking her submission. Suddenly, he wanted to be everywhere, touch her everywhere. He pulled her against the length of his body, cradling her in a possessive embrace. Desire snaked through him, setting him aflame where their hips met.
He dragged his mouth from hers and trailed kisses along her neck and collarbone. A coil of raw emotion slowly spiraled in the pit of his belly. His hands dropped to the buttons of her worn, chambray shirt—his shirt. She looked so damn good in it. In fact, that was all she’d been wearing for the past few days. He didn’t think he could ever wear any of his clothing without thinking of her again.
He pushed the denim from her shoulders, and then sucked in a breath. His cock swelled at the sight of her braless, palm-sized breasts. This wasn’t the first time he’d gotten a hard-on looking at her. It had happened frequently when he was watching her around the compound while she’d been working, collecting eggs, and feeding the animals. He couldn’t seem to drag his eyes from her round arse and long legs. Even though one of her ankles was wrapped in gauze, it did nothing to detract from her sexiness. He’d fought his attraction to her, knowing nothing could come of it. Yet, here she was in his arms, kissing him ardently.
He caressed her breasts, fondling the dark nipples. Then, he dipped his head low and feasted on each breast, lavishing the nipples with attention. He marveled at the way the buds hardened in his mouth as he pulled and sucked and teethed them.
Nicola writhed beneath him as he generously devoured one breast then the other. She clung to him, her nails digging into his shoulder blades. The pain was pleasurable, sending jolts of excitement through him. She had him so hot he was about to come from sheer anticipation. His palm slid down her flat abdomen until his fingers came into contact with what felt like lacey panties. He pulled back long enough to stare at her smooth skin. She was nude except for her black underwear—a problem he would soon rectify.
He hooked his thumbs beneath the band of the slinky material and tugged hard, ripping the fabric. A strip of dark curls nestled between her legs. She was waxed everywhere else. His erection bucked inside his boxers.
Bloody hell! He didn’t know how much more he could stand. He wanted her, now.
“Your turn,” she entreated.
She pulled his boxers off while he tugged his shirt over his head. He’d managed to get naked within the span of two seconds. A new record for him! His erection sprang forth like a crocodile chasing its prey. He glanced at Nicola. Her eyes were wide with appreciation as she boldly stroked his shaft from hilt to tip. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her hands on him. She pumped the hard-as-marble flesh. The effect was maddening, making his dick jerk wildly in her hand.
He cradled her in his embrace and kissed her neck, suckling her earlobe with his tongue.
Her moans filled the air. “Oh, God. Oh, God,” she purred.
“You like that?”
“Yes!”
“You want more?”
“Yes.”
“What else do you want?”
She squeezed his hard length, handling him with just the right amount of pressure. “I want you, Leif. Now.”
He wanted her, too. The muscle between his legs was so painfully rigid he knew he would have blue balls for days if he didn’t get inside her damned quick. He pressed the throbbing head of his erection against the landing strip at the juncture of her thighs.
“Wait!” she screeched. “Do you have protection?”
He froze. Fuck! It had been so long since he’d been with a woman, he wasn’t prepared. His cock throbbed at the mere thought of thrusting himself, rock-hard inside her—right now. But he wasn’t riding bareback, no matter how much he might want to. Neither one of them needed a souvenir that couldn’t be refunded. Crikey! If he did that, he’d be no better than that whacker, McSeever.
“Gimme a minute.”
He jumped up and jerked open the drawer of his nearby dresser, all the while praying he still had some frangers in there. It seemed sacrilege to pray to God to help him get lucky, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
Eureka! Luck was on his side. He found a pack of three. Making sure they hadn’t passed their expiration date, he rolled one on and then rejoined Nicola in the bed.
His gaze locked with hers. “I’ll be gentle,” he promised.
“You’d better not,” she challenged.
Currents of excitement ripped through him. His body was already on the edge, like a dike threatening to burst. Now, this insanely sexy woman commanded him to dive in, holding nothing back. It was an order he could live with!
He groaned with pleasure as he entered her. Damn, she felt good! He hovered over her, his forearms flexing, his hips pumping. Nicola met his strokes with unchecked abandonment, arching her hips and grinding her pelvis against his. The heat of her core consumed him, and her sinewy walls tugged him, coaxing his essence from his cock.
Her low moans of ecstasy entwined with feverish pleas. “Oh, God. Please, don’t stop. Don’t stop.”
“I won’t,” he swore, his hoarse voice barely recognizable to him. At this moment, he would rather drown in the Great Barrier Reef than pull out of this hot, wet haven. He pounded harder, slipping in and out of her milky wetness with ease. His frenzied motions rocked her curvy body back and forth. She bucked wildly against him, squeezing his erection by rhythmically contracting the muscles of her pussy.
All too soon, he felt the first stirrings of an orgasm. He was quickly spiraling out of control. In an attempt to smother the hot embers igniting and popping inside him, he raised Nicola’s arms above her head and pressed whisper-soft kisses along the column of her throat. He wasn’t ready for this ride to end. He wanted to feel her velvety flesh around his hard thickness. He wanted to keep pace with the rhythmic tempo he’d started. But the inferno building inside him was too hot to withstand.
Apparently, Nicola felt the same. She bucked against him, panting, squeezing, and snapping the last thread of his control. She cried out, and then her body stiffened against his. Her nails clawed his back, and he knew she’d reached her climax. Seconds later, an intense blaze gripped him, sending liquid fire coursing through his veins. He buried his face in her sweet smelling hair, and within seconds, an eruption rocked his body and snatched the breath from him. Wave after wave of red-hot flames engulfed him as he exploded in ecstasy.
Afterward, his ragged breathing filled the air. Nicola clung to his sweat-soaked c
hest. As Leif held her, his racing heartbeat finally slowed to a steady trot. He closed his eyes, languishing in the afterglow. If the roof caved in at this very moment, he would be crushed. He didn’t have the energy to move. He hadn’t had many partners, but he sure as hell didn’t remember ever having mind-blowing sex like this.
For several minutes he lay, floating, hovering between bliss and disbelief. Just as he was drifting to sleep, Nicola rolled over. He cracked an eye open to see her standing beside the bed. Her shapely arse disappeared beneath the hemline of his shirt. “You’re leaving?” he asked, not sure whether to be irritated or hurt.
“Yeah.” She fastened the buttons. “I don’t want your mother to find me in your bed in the morning. She might think I’m a tramp or something. What do you Australians call it? A rooter?”
He laughed. “A root rat, which you are certainly not.”
She shrugged. “All the same. A girl’s gotta maintain some sense of decorum.” She waved goodbye and then slipped from the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.
He felt the void of her presence the moment she left. She was gone, but the soft scent of her perfume lingered, teasing his nostrils. Annoyed with himself, he picked up his book and tried to finish where he left off before Nicola had rocked his world. The words blurred on the page. After a few minutes, he realized he was reading the same sentence over and over. It was no use. He couldn’t bloody focus!
He tossed the book to the side and then pulled on his boxers. Grabbing the remaining frangers, he cracked open the door and peeked out into the hall. He felt like a wanker for sneaking around his own house, but he did it anyway, padding across the hall to the guest room. Without bothering to knock, he let himself in.
